School is about to start and the excitement and chaos is beginning to be palpable once again.  For some the energy feels good while for others it can be unsettling.  Understanding the principals of Feng Shui will help explain these differences and how you can use the principals of Feng Shui to have a smoother more relaxing transition from the summer vacation energy to ‘back to school’.

Feng Shui is all about the flow of energy.  The perception of energy flow is dictated person to person and is somewhat dependent on personality, individual life experiences and beliefs.  For example, I had a client who was an artist.  She contacted me to do a Feng Shui Consultation, of her studio, because she was struggling with creativity which was having a direct relationship on her financial prosperity.  When I entered her studio I was greeted with a predominant, dark pink décor in EVERY room.  I am not talking about a pastel pink color.  This was a solid, true pink which is considered a fire element in Feng Shui.  Walking in to my client’s studio was like walking into a blazing fire. Yet for her the excitement of fire is what fueled her personality and supported her creativity.  In a nut shell, her problem was the fire that once supported her had become too much and was literally ‘burning’ out her creativity and financial prosperity.

She had two choices:  reduce the amount of fire or address the changes within her that no longer resonated with the amount of fire in her studio.  These are the type of choices you can make when dealing with the shift in energy you and your family may be experiencing now that you are making a switch from summer vacation mode to getting ready to return to school.  It doesn’t matter if you are helping the children buy their back to school supplies or assisting the new college student get ready for their shift from High School to College, the energy difference can be uncomfortable and chaotic.

Feng Shui can help address these energy shifts by offering you choices.  The first thing to consider is how the different energy is affecting you.  Are you stressed and tired or excited and nervous?  Of course, there are any number of different emotions you can be experiencing and this is based on your personality, individual life experiences and beliefs. Feng Shui can be used to address any of these emotional and physical reactions to the shift in energy.  Let’s explore a couple different scenarios.

Stressed and tired: 

When someone is stressed and tired there are a number of different areas of the Bagua to consider.  The area, of the Bagua, to address is dependent on the ‘cause’ of the stress.  For example, if you are stressed because of the additional money needed to buy the necessary school supplies then you may want to look at your Fortunate Blessings/Financial area of the Bagua. Is this area congested, difficult to access or a dumping ground for things you don’t know what to do with?  Maybe it has lots of water features or sharp and broken items. Any of these types of findings can point to existing challenges with your Fortunate Blessings and Finances and give you clues how best to reduce or release the challenges.

Let me take a moment to discuss one very important misconception.  I have pointed this misconception out in other articles and it is important to say again:

– It is NEVER the item, furniture, picture, color or placement that causes the challenge.

– It is ALWAYS the selection and placement that demonstrates the challenge is present.

Another way to better understand what I mean by these two statements is simply to know that items do NOT hold any magical powers.  Feng Shui is all about symbolism and how each of us intuitively create a physical environment, through the selections and decisions we make, that reflects what we are experiencing in our lives.

If I find trash cans or broken items stacked repeatedly in the Fortunate Blessings/Prosperity area of the Bagua it may be symbolic that this individuals’ prosperity is ‘broken’ or ‘in the trash’.  Having the trash can or broken items in this area of the Bagua is NOT CAUSING the individual to experience challenges in prosperity it ONLY reflects this message.  So, if you find your Fortunate Blessings/Financial area congested, inaccessible or an area where items are ‘dumped’ then it is likely you are experiencing challenges with your Fortunate Blessings/Finances, something you most likely already are aware of.  So what can you do to shift this energy?

When someone feels stressed and tired due to the energy shifts from ‘summer vacation’ to ‘back to school’ planning it is important to first understand the ‘cause’.  If it is because of the additional financial strain caused from the need to buy new clothes, school supplies, fees and other expenses related to starting school then look at how you are expressing your financial prosperity.  If your Fortunate Blessings/Financial area is reflecting challenges then start by cleaning up this area by removing:

• broken items,
• anything blocking your access to this area ie:  furniture blocking doorways
• trash cans,
• water elements (ie:  water fountains, fish tanks, dark blue items, mirrors etc.).

I do not recommend adding items like coins, magic frogs etc. because it can lead you to the false belief that these items somehow hold magic abilities to control your prosperity.  They do not.

Nervous, excited or scared 

Going from the energy of summer vacation to going back to school can be quite the challenge for some families.  The anticipation of starting school whether for the first time or graduating to the next grade brings all sorts of challenges.  Using Feng Shui principals can help reduce the amount of stress and anticipation for yourself and other family members.

The middle of the Bagua is considered the area associated with stability, health and clarity.  It is also an area that can be difficult to work with as it typically is in the middle of a room.  But it is also in the middle of your lot Bagua and in the middle of your home Bagua.  This gives you three broad areas to work with; land, house and room.  Here are a few tips for reducing stress and provide better support for the back to school nerves.

Let’s start with your lot.  Whether you live in a neighborhood or in an area with acreage really doesn’t matter.  The middle of the Bagua remains the same.  Make sure this area is free of clutter, sharp objects, unsafe items or equipment and broken stuff.  You want this area of your yard to be healthy and stable.

Look at the Bagua for your entire home and find the middle.  Look at what is in this area.  It can be anything.  Sometimes this is where I find powder rooms and frequently living rooms.  See what is in the center of your home Bagua.  Make sure this area is easy to access.  It is a good place to hang your favorite family photos.  It is not a good area to hang scary scenes like huge, violent waterfalls, cliffs, precarious sports or art work that makes you feel uncomfortable.

What you are creating is an area of the Bagua that represents the stability and safety you desire for yourself and your family.

It is important to remember you can make positive changes in your life.  Feng Shui is an ancient art, originating in China over 3000 years ago, based on the balance of nature and how we individually attempt to create that same balance within our own lives.  Everything we surround ourselves with physically, such as the clothing we choose to wear, the furniture design and placement in our homes and offices, the colors, pictures, knick knacks etc. all represent what is within ourselves.

By gaining an understanding of why you make the choices you do and what they are saying about you the healing process can begin.  It is never as simple as changing the color of your room or moving a chair to another location or possibly hanging a crystal in the middle of your home.  The reason is quite simple:  it is NOT the color or the chair or even the crystal that is responsible for the imbalance:  it is the imbalance within that is being reflected into the physical surroundings therefore the healing can only take place from within.  Feng Shui is about understanding what your surroundings say about you and your desire and willingness to change.

By utilizing some of the suggestions I provided, in this article, you are taking steps to address your challenges and make the necessary changes you and your family desire.  To learn more about Feng Shui visit my web site at www.FengShuiSolutions.org or facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Myfengshuisolutions.

Marjorie Hilliard, RN, Feng Shui Master/Teacher successfully completed a 4 year Graduate Course at the Power Feng Shui Academy of Santa Fe and is the owner of Feng Shui Solutions.  Marjorie has over 12 years’ experience working with individuals, small and large businesses, interior designers and charitable community organizations providing expert guidance on the appropriate application of Feng Shui principals as they apply to the individual needs of her clients.  Marjorie offers comprehensive Feng Shui instruction and educational community presentations in the Atlanta area.

You can receive updates on new classes by joining Marjorie’s Metaphysics and Feng Shui Meetup Group at www.meetup.com/Metaphysics-and-Feng-Shui-Meetup/.

LinkedIn – Feng Shui Solutions Atlanta www.LinkedIn.com

Dates of upcoming classes:  

October 6, 2015 – Basic Feng Shui Certification Course begins.  (this is a 6 month course)

October 3, 2015 – Advanced Feng Shui Certification Course begins – this course is open to students who have successfully completed the Feng Shui Certification Course ONLY

*Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net